Leica | alan frost photography

Posts tagged ‘Leica’

An early Christmas present from Leica – a firmware update (4.0.0) for Q3 and SL3, plus playing with Film Styles and Leica Looks

I don’t know about you, but most emails that arrive in my inbox are rubbish. Without opening them I hit the delete key. Occasionally one will jump out at me and my curiosity is awakened. This was most certainly the case when a couple of days ago I received an email from Leica announcing a major firmware upgrade for their Q3 and SL3 series of cameras. Many updates usually offer minor changes or bug fixes but firmware 4.0.0 was indeed a major upgrade particularly for the Q3.

Leica indicated the update would enhance performance and responsiveness, combined with faster and better autofocus capabilities. But the big change for me was the introduction of the interface and menu system from the SL3. I couldn’t wait to download the update and experience for myself the changes. Providing there are no bugs, these are very worthwhile improvements and will further enhance my enjoyment of the Leica Q3. Most definitely an unexpected and much appreciated Christmas present. Thank you Leica!

I always enjoy ‘playing’ and having reconnected the Q3 to the Leica Photos App, I thought it might be fun to download some of the ‘Leica Look’ JPEG only styles. I rarely if ever shoot JPEG, my default is always RAW so that I have the maximum possible control over image processing. However I thought I would compare the various JPEG options. Would any appeal to me?

Film Styles are already built into the camera menu, and the Leica Looks are downloadable from the Leica Photos App. There are a number to choose from but there are only six available slots in the camera.

I decided to visit a nearby church and took a series of external and interior images having selected each Film Style or Leica Look in turn – 11 baked in styles for JPEGs only. If I shot RAW as well this would not be affected. In all cases I used exactly the same settings and all the results can be viewed below.

Given my love for black and white I was particularly interested in the monochrome styles and I have to say of all of them I really like the ‘Greg Williams Leica Look’. It isn’t too contrasty, and the fairly subtle warm tone appeals to me. In the past I have used the Monochrome High Contrast film style to preview the look I am after but still shot RAW. I doubt I will ever use Selenium and the Sepia look is for me a little overdone but you can reduce the intensity of the style in camera prior to shooting so this may work.

Although I don’t normally work in colour I was interested to see how the various styles compared. Over to the colour workers reading this post to come to their own conclusions. Personal choice as always and some of the styles will work well for certain types of subject and lighting conditions and not for others.

And now for a set of interior shots using the same 11 film styles and looks.

Once again the ‘Greg Williams’ look works for me and this particular subject matter.

And here are the colour versions.

I think it’s fair to say that I have enjoyed this exercise. Whether or not I will start shooting RAW plus JPEG, coupled with one of the styles, I don’t know. At least I now have useful reference which will serve as a reminder of the looks available.

For anyone who is fortunate to own a Leica Q3 (28, 43 or Monochrom) or SL3 or SL3S, I can highly recommend the latest 4.0.0 firmware update. But before taking my word for it I would strongly suggest you check out the support section of the Leica website. I would also recommend viewing a couple of videos on YouTube on the Leica channel which will give you much more information.

I doubt I will post anything more before the 25th December so wherever you in the world and whatever your beliefs, may I wish you a very happy Festive Season and peaceful New Year.

(A quick aside – given the size of the images I would suggest viewing this post on a tablet or better still a desktop as opposed to a mobile device)

Driving through time at the Haynes Motor Museum

When photographing any subject it’s all too easy to fall into the trap of framing the picture to capture the whole thing. Nothing is omitted and a ‘bumper to bumper’ picture of a car can in truth be nothing more than a record shot. From a purely visual point of view the composition ends up being far too busy. Add a distracting background can only add to the confusion. This is particularly true in a museum where the four wheeled exhibits are displayed in close proximity to one another. There is little or no separation and the resultant photograph is almost invariably a disappointment. In a phrase it lacks viewer engagement.

Abstraction and knowing what to leave out, can I believe make for a much more interesting and pleasing image.

I recently made a second visit to the Haynes Motor Museum in Somerset, England. My photographic intentions were very clear.

I set out with the specific aim of making photographs which told a story and would in my view capture the essence of both the place and the wide range of cars on display. I wanted to make positive use of the artificial lighting. To work with what could be distracting sources of light and reflections. To embrace out of focus areas, to enhance the image, and adding a further layer of interest whenever possible.

I thoroughly enjoyed combining two of my passions in life – motor cars and photography. There are a huge variety of cars at the museum spanning all eras. With my camera and a selection of lenses I experimented with various settings in the hope of making some interesting black and white compositions.

You can be the judge of whether or not my approach was successful.

Life and light in the stillness ….. feelings evoked by my local churchyard.

For the past couple of years a large section of my local churchyard has been left to grow wild. Untended, the grasses grow, and will gradually die back, more so in this hot dry summer. They provide a habitat for insects, birds and possibly other wildlife as well. In early autumn the area is cleared and nature’s cycle will continue. Cut back, dormant, only to re-emerge and thrive again next spring.

Churchyards are places of peace and sanctuary which evoke many contrary emotions. They are there for those that have gone before us. The old headstones and crosses mark the lives of the many generations who were once alive and part of village life. In some cases the inscriptions are still visible but these are old stones, so more often than not the words of remembrance and the dates of the dearly departed have been worn away, eroded by the elements. I can only imagine the tales that are buried in the ground beneath my feet.

The other day I dusted off my tripod and gathered together my ND filters, and decided to try and capture how I felt about this place. On the one hand there is stillness. The age-ed gravestones no longer upright but weathered and leaning from the passage of time. Resilient to change, protected and to be respected. The gusting wind and sun would play their part. The grasses waving as the wind ebbed and flowed. Sunlight fleetingly disappearing behind thin cloud only to reappear a few moments later. Essential ingredients which helped me realise the images I had in mind. A mix of life, movement, light and death.

From a photographic point of view I enjoyed being alone for a few hours. Over two sessions I immersed myself in the scene as I discovered new compositions. Moving and adjusting the position of the tripod, swapping lenses and ND filters. Manually focusing and varying the camera’s settings to try and achieve the look I was after. Simply being creative.

I understand that for many people churchyards are sombre and melancholic places. I find it hard not to share these feelings. However there are also feelings of resilience, rebirth, remembrance, respect and ultimately love and hope as we contend with the challenges that are placed before us each and every day.

Photographic workflow – Part 3 ….. Processing in the digital darkroom ….. the before and after

In part two of this short series I wrote about my approach to image capture with a particular reference to my recent purchase of a Leica Q3. Buying a new camera is always an exciting time. I couldn’t wait to begin editing the first shots I had taken and to see for myself just how good the files are from a 60mp sensor when seen through a 28mm f1.7 Summilux fixed prime lens.

Full of eager anticipation I plugged the SD card into my laptop, downloaded the files into Capture One but was very disappointed with the results. Why you ask? Well I have to admit to a schoolboy error. Before buying the Q3 I didn’t check whether or not my version of Capture One would support the Q3 DNG RAW files. It didn’t; the RAW converter wasn’t compatible and I had no choice but to purchase and install the latest version of Capture One. Problem solved but I hadn’t allowed for this additional cost. Lesson learned I could now move on and start editing the files and I was blown away by the quality and detail. Everything I had read in various reviews was there on the screen in front of me.

*Former church of Holy Trinity at Turner’s Puddle – now redundant*

I am sure that anyone reading this could write their own book about image capture, I know I could, so in this second entry which follows Part One – ‘Seeking Inspiration’, I shall briefly address my way of capturing a scene. This will not cover every aspect of my way of working but is more of an overview of the key methods I adopt before releasing the shutter. It might also help explain why I recently decided to buy a Leica Q3.

Principally I will be referring to my landscape photography as other genres – church interiors for example – require a different approach which I might cover at a later date.

First and foremost I consider myself to be quite a spontaneous photographer. Although I will go out specifically with the intention of making images I don’t often plan to capture a particular view or arrive at a location when the light will be at its most favourable. I would far rather wander around the countryside and respond to a scene, the light or a particular composition which appeals to me and draws my eye. Nor do I get up to be out before the dawn or stay out until well past the blue hour. I am a daytime photographer – which suits my lifestyle and the images I am trying to make. In summary I like to document the rural nature of the places close to my home.

Call me impatient but I won’t stay in one place for very long. In other words I won’t wait for the sun to move round or for clouds to shift in the sky. If the conditions aren’t right then I’ll simply move along and look forward to finding another scene to photograph. I do sometimes criticise myself for not slowing down but it’s how I am and it’s why I like to travel light. Always having a camera with me allows me to capture an image which might be missed.

For this reason I rarely use a tripod. In fact if I am out walking in the landscape it’s the last piece of equipment I will pack – I know it will not get used. I am not a lover of zoom lenses either. I much prefer using prime lenses but choosing which ones to take with me can be tricky. If I can choose only one lens then for years my default and arguably my favourite lens is the 50mm or ‘nifty fifty’, but it does have its limitations. So I then start to think do I need to pack something wider and or longer as well? The added weight plus the inconvenience of repeatedly changing lenses can be frustrating – but perhaps I am just being lazy!

Ever since 2012 when I purchased a second hand Leica Monochrom, I have largely remained loyal to the Leica brand albeit with a more recent foray into the world of Fujifilm with the purchase of a Fujifilm XT3 and Fujifilm X100v. As much as I liked these excellent cameras they have never replaced my love of Leica and in particular their wonderful prime lenses, which I really enjoy shooting wide open for creative effect. Until a few weeks ago my camera of choice was the Leica SL2S.

If you are interested you might like to read these two posts –

Switching from Leica to Fujifilm …… well not exactly

From Leica to Fujifilm and now back to Leica …. Why?

So why Leica and what camera settings do I use? I like to remain in complete control of the exposure and focus. It’s not that I don’t trust being on auto this or auto that, but I would rather take a little more time to adjust the shutter speed, aperture and ISO myself as well as focusing manually. I appreciate that almost any camera will allow me to do this, but the Leica SL2S makes it so easy for me. Perhaps its my familiarity with the camera controls coupled with a degree of muscle memory.

The manual focus only prime lenses are a joy to use. They have a dedicated aperture ring and a depth of field scale on the lens. The manual focus ring is not fly by wire and a quarter turn will take the focus from infinity to the closest distance. It’s mechanical and beautifully tactile and it just works. The Leica camera menu is intuitive, straightforward and far from complicated. Sorry Fuji but I have never got my head round all your menu settings.

I mentioned earlier that I rarely ever use a tripod. Weight and inconvenience aside I like to compose a shot with complete freedom. Raising or lowering the camera at will, moving my feet to the left or right, or getting closer or further away from the subject to get the view I want. I check my settings, focus and press the shutter. I often shoot wide open so I am usually working with a high shutter speed so camera shake is never really an issue. The SL2S has in-body image stabilisation so shutter speed is rarely an issue to achieve a sharp image. If I do want to shoot in a semi-automatic mode then I will usually choose aperture priority, adjusting the speed or ISO to suit. Controlling the depth of field and the main point of focus is a priority once I have dialled in the exposure. I’ll use the digital zoom to double check my focus if necessary. I can use ‘focus peaking’ but the viewfinder is so sharp and clear I don’t find it’s required.

Filters and do I use them? I have a collection of filters, a polarizor, neutral density and graduated filters (hard and soft) all of which I will very occasionally use but I treat them rather as I do the tripod. They can get in the way of spontaneity. Once again if I slowed down and took more time over capturing each image then I think they would get more use. They definitely have their place in photography but not always in my camera bag. This is true only because modern sensors can now capture a broad dynamic range and the hybrid mechanical/electronic shutter negate the need for ND filters, even when shooting in bright conditions with a fast aperture.

As I am a monochrome worker I will always have the screen set to give me a black and white preview of the picture I am taking so that I can an idea of tones etc. I have to give credit to Fuji with all their in-built film styles, including many excellent options for monochrome, but I shoot RAW and will always process the image and never use the JPEG straight out of camera. I’ll cover this aspect of my workflow in Part three. I always use the histogram to make sure the highlights aren’t blown. The level gauge and something called perspective control are also very helpful if you have converging verticals which you want to correct during processing.

Explaining all of the above brings me onto my recent purchase of a Leica Q3….. the version with a fixed 28mm lens, not the recently announced Q3 43, which has a fixed 43mm lens. I mentioned earlier that I had a Fuji X100v which I bought back in 2020. A highly regarded camera, but I always found the 23mm (35mm in full frame terms) to never be quite wide enough when I didn’t want to use my 50mm lens. Whilst compact and lightweight I almost found it too small to be reassuring to use. The Leica SL2S is quite a hefty beast but being quite large and very solid is to me much more comfortable to use.

So I decided I might sell my X100v and did some research into the Q3 as a replacement. I soon found a number of nearly new examples for sale at a much lower price than brand new. It’s far from being cheap to buy, as with anything made by Leica, so any saving is worthwhile. I didn’t take very long to make up my mind.

I have to say the Q3 is not really that compact, the lens is bulky, particularly when compared to the X100v which will readily fit inside a coat pocket. However it shares most if not all the things I like about the SL2S and has some other benefits which are lacking on the SL. The camera controls are very similar, the lens just feels like any other M mount prime lens. It has a maximum aperture of f1.7 which even on a 28mm lens can give me a very shallow depth of field in certain situations. It also has a macro facility which is quickly enabled by turning another ring on the lens. Like all Leica lenses the quality and sharpness is outstanding. Yes it’s larger and heavier than the X100v but to me it feels more like a scaled down version of the SL2S, so it instantly felt comfortable in the hand. Having made the switch I did add a thumb grip, soft release and I will probably add a hand grip as well, all of which I had on the Fuji.

*Various images of my newly acquired Leica Q3*

The menu system on the Q3 is very similar to the SL2S, so I can switch between cameras without having to think too much about what I am doing. Just like the X100v it has an articulated screen, which is something I miss on the SL. It has in-body image stabilisation, is weather proof and for the few weeks I have owned the camera it is already proving to be a delight to use.

I am greatly enjoying the challenge of using a 28mm lens as opposed to the 50mm. It’s opening up new creative compositions. Finally I should mention the 60mp sensor which is quite superb and offers the following crop modes of 35mm, 50mm, 75mm and 90mm. Even at 50mm it’s providing me with a 18.9mp file – The Leica SL2S has a 24mp sensor by way of comparison and I have never been disappointed with the images it captures. In fact I have always considered 24mp to be something of a sweet-spot. Turning the clock back my Leica M Monochrom had a 18mp sensor, so for convenience when I only want to carry one camera I feel very at ease using the crop mode on the Q3.

So in conclusion I hope this has given you an insight into my approach to image capture when I’m out in the landscape. My purchase of the Leica Q3 is a great companion for the SL2S. I can take it anywhere and given time may get more use than the SL and the ‘nifty fifty’.

All of the monochrome images in this entry were captured with the Q3, as indeed were the images in the first post in this series. They were all captured during a single walk not far from my home.